What nobody tells you about visiting Romania

After a lot of research I thought I knew what to expect from Romania. Some things matched: Painted Monasteries of Bucovina is as spectacular as every review says, and Cluj-Napoca has a genuine energy I'd read about. The tuică plum brandy obsession is completely justified.

What I wasn't prepared for: Dracula tourism done right. That element genuinely surprised me and added something I hadn't seen in any review. Also: Bucharest feels rough around the edges. That part the reviews undersell. Overall a wonderful trip — just a more layered experience than I anticipated.